After a devastating end to the season, the Celtics have loads of troublesome decisions to make this offseason. Al Horford and Luke Kornet are each unrestricted free brokers who’re more likely to search greater than the veteran minimal.
And, the workforce is greater than $40 million into the posh tax and $20 million into the second apron, that means that some kind of wage shedding is anticipated. (The second apron is a monetary threshold that triggers harsh penalties, together with restrictions on trades, free company, and draft picks).
Strikes to get out of the second apron may contain buying and selling Jrue Vacation (who is because of make $32.4 million subsequent season), Kristaps Porzingis (who’s due $30.7M), and even Jaylen Brown ($53.1M).
And with Jayson Tatum sidelined for many, if not all, of subsequent season, many have assumed subsequent yr’s Celtics workforce will likely be out of the combination to contend for a championship — additional incentivizing organizational management to scale back payroll subsequent season.
However that’s not how the present Celtics gamers really feel
Payton Pritchard, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the 12 months this previous season, stated he’s 100% sure that the Celtics will likely be very aggressive regardless of Tatum’s extended absence.
“We’ll put workforce collectively — a variety of rivals, and folks will go on the market and lay all of it on the road each night time,” Pritchard stated. “And I consider individuals will elevate their video games and have greater roles, particularly with JT being out [and] till he comes again, and they need to take full benefit of it and be prepared for these alternatives. And we’ll compete.”
And, veteran wing Torrey Craig, who’s a free agent this summer season, instructed CelticsBlog his confidence in subsequent yr’s Celtics workforce stays excessive.
“Even with out JT, this workforce may nonetheless compete for a championship,” Craig stated. “They’re gifted. You simply must discover a solution to play basketball a bit of in a different way. However this group is far more succesful. I’ve the utmost confidence.”
This season, the Celtics went 8-2 with out Jayson Tatum
They had been 2-1 with out their MVP candidate within the postseason, with Brown handing over two of his finest video games of the playoffs in Tatum’s absence.
The Celtics’ potential to remain afloat with out Tatum will largely rely on who they carry on subsequent season’s roster, possession’s willingness to spend, and what subsequent yr’s Japanese Convention appears like. It’ll additionally rely on whether or not gamers like Derrick White, Pritchard, and even rookie Baylor Scheierman can take one other leap.
However, there’s no scarcity of confidence contained in the locker room in regards to the workforce’s potential to compete if given the chance.
“We nonetheless have a very, actually nice alternative and a fantastic window to achieve success and win the championship once more,” Vacation stated. “I feel the expertise that we have now on this workforce, not solely on the courtroom, however the teaching employees, all the best way as much as Brad [Stevens], has been superb. The chance to win is now, and I nonetheless need to be a part of it.”
The one query is whether or not Celtics possession and administration really feel the identical.
